10 Most Annoying People You Meet in Hotels

Executive Editor Josh Roberts believes the best trips involve long hikes and muddy boots. His life goals haven't changed much since he was a kid: He still wants to be Indiana Jones when he grows up. Follow him on Instagram at @jauntist and on Twitter at @joshwritesYA.

Josh joined SmarterTravel in 2001, and is an active member in both the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

In addition to SmarterTravel, he has written for USA Today, The Boston Globe, Yahoo! Travel, The Huffington Post, Airfarewatchdog, TripAdvisor, Jetsetter, ABC News, Oyster, and Business Insider. His travel photography can be seen in Britain and Ireland's Best Wild Places, published by Penguin UK.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A lacrosse ball. It's small, lightweight, and works wonders on loosening up tight muscles."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Being the first to discover an ancient lost city. Failing that, visiting as many of the already-discovered ancient ruins as possible."

Travel is stressful enough without having to cope with annoying people. Your hotel should be an oasis of tranquility compared to the planes, trains, and automobiles it takes to get you there, but all too often you run into these sketchy characters who ruin the experience.

Annoying People You Meet in Hotels

The Elevator Button Pusher

There’s one in every hotel: the kid who thinks it’s funny—nay, hilarious—to press all of the buttons between the first floor and the last. If you’ve encountered this particular child, you know how annoying it can be to take a tour of all 15 stories of your hotel. Of course, the parents are as much to blame as the kid in this case. We’ll get to them later.

The Public Fighters

As anyone who’s ever watched an episode of The Amazing Race knows, nothing reveals the fractures in a relationship faster than a high-stress travel situation. And nothing raises our ire more than having to listen to others argue in public. We say keep calm and carry on—at least until you and your sparring partner are alone.

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Neglectful Pet Owners

There’s nothing wrong with taking your dog on vacation—assuming your hotel allows dogs, of course. But there is something wrong with packing up Fido for your trip and then leaving him to howl and bark in your hotel room while you gallivant around town. To put it simply: If you bring a dog, bring him everywhere you go.

The Intrusive Cleaning Crew

The sign says “do not disturb” for a reason, people! Maybe we like our messy room just the way it is. Or maybe we’re suffering from severe jetlag and need that extra hour or two of sleep. Either way, when we ask to be left alone, we mean it.

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Rude Staff

Is it just us, or do some front-desk people actually enjoy tormenting travelers? Whether it’s denying an upgrade for no good reason or simply refusing to be bothered with our “little” problems, we don’t appreciate the notion that it’s a burden to simply do their job.

The Pushy Bellhop

No, we do not want you to take our rolling luggage up to our room, thank you very much. We dragged it this far all by ourselves. What makes you think you deserve a tip for carrying it the final 200 feet?

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The Noisy Neighbors

Most hotels aren’t exactly soundproofed. That means we can hear everything you’re up to next door. Everything. So keep it down, please.

Groups

What is it about traveling in packs that makes perfectly nice people behave badly? We’re looking at you, bachelor parties and convention-goers. You too, spring breakers. We love your joie de vivre, but could you dial it down just a little bit in our presence?

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The Snobby Concierge

We’d almost call this one a stereotype if it didn’t apply to many of the concierges we’ve actually encountered while traveling. The slightly upturned nose and the air of superiority must be in the job description.

Parents Who Take A Vacation … From Parenting

Now let’s talk about that kid who’s pressing all the buttons on the hotel elevator. And the one who won’t stop running in the lobby. And the other one who’s busy throwing food across the hotel restaurant. Kids will be kids. It’s the parents we really blame here. Folks, we get it: You’re on vacation, too. But being on vacation is no excuse to take a vacation from your other job: parenting. Control your children!

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